Dhaka ranks 2nd worst in Air Quality Index

People move through a cloud of dust, which is one of the major pollutants of the air in the capital. The photo was taken at Shantinagar on November 01, 2016. — New Age file photo

Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh, was ranked second worst in the Air Quality Index on Saturday morning.

The city had a score of 169 at 8:01am, indicating that the quality was unhealthy. Malaysia’s Kuching and Pakistan’s Lahore occupied the first and third spots in the list respectively.

An AQI score between 101 and 200 means that there is an increased likelihood of adverse effects and aggravation to the heart and lungs among the general public, particularly the sensitive groups.

The AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, informs people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is, and what associated health effects might be a concern for them.

In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants - Particulate Matter, NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone. The department of environment has also set national ambient air quality standards for these pollutants. These standards aim to protect against adverse human health impacts.

Dhaka, one of the most densely populated cities in the world, has been battling air pollution for a long time. The air quality generally worsens during summer and shows signs of improvement during monsoon.